Civic Engagement

Leaders and community members must act responsibly – and act together – to create communities that thrive. Extension's civic engagement programs are informed by research, and help communities through consultation, educational cohorts and social capital assessments. Our goal is to help leaders, groups and community members engage in productive dialogue and grow the social connections within communities.

Publications

Drawn from best practices and research, Extension's model of civic engagement guides leaders and community members in addressing public issues and solving public problems. By bringing together experience, information and diverse perspectives in a respectful process allows communities to reach decisions that are more thoughtful, broadly supported and ultimately sustainable. To help leaders succeed, Extension offers workshops as well as long-term cohort programs that help groups plan for successful community engagement. More

When meetings are respectful and productive, communities are better able to solve problems and make decisions. That's why designing and managing meetings well is a core leadership and civic engagement skill. Extension offers training in educational cohorts to help individuals develop skills in facilitating community meetings. More

What holds your community together? The bonds between individuals, the bridges that bring different groups together, and the links to organizations that connect valuable resources are all types of social capital. Extension can help communities learn more about their social capital, assess where social capital is strong and weak in their community, and identify strategies that strengthen social capital locally. More